NOVEMBER 20239including tool box talks, approaches to investigations, project and event kick-off sessions and many others. The principles of Human Performance aim to work together over time to create a longer-term impact of creating a culture of psychological safety. Building on that impact, I believe these five Basic Principles of Human Performance should be expanded to also include Develop and nurture relationships ­ Show interest and care for work family members. Be approachable and collaborative.In my career spanning over 32 years, I have left a couple of companies because I didn't feel like company leadership was interested in my personal growth. We all have the responsibility to manage our own careers, but good companies develop and execute processes to support the professional development and growth of their people too.My leadership team and I make it a point to visit locations and projects to develop and nurture relationships because we want our people to know that we want to understand how we can support their success collectively and individually.We're interested to discuss and identify career development opportunities that may include coaching, mentoring, increased visibility, or serving on more challenging projects. People are more likely to be motivated to grow their careers and stay if they feel like they are growing with the company.Plan for successful and safe work­ Anticipate, recognize, and manage risk in safe job planning. Create and update processes that match how the work can and should be performed with feedback from those that actually do the work.In the past, I've asked for help to plan for successful and safe work because I didn't have the experience necessary to complete the task. Being unsure if you are doing the right and safe thing is a challenging mental space to work effectively in.It's good to ask your work family members `What do you need from me or the organization to do your best safe work?', and be prepared to devote more time and resources to help them feel fulfilled. People may share that they are missing basic competencies to plan for safe work effectively. The necessary resources could include training, coaching, digital tools, and support from other groups.Recognize and celebrate safe work execution ­ Motivate your work family members through identifying and showcasing Safety Leadership Behaviors and accomplishments. This includes celebrating them for speaking up, taking action and sharing lessons before the fact, as well as calling out unsafe behaviors, for reporting near misses and learning from them, and being focused more on leading indicators.I know how important it is to be recognized for performing well when delivering successful, safe work and projects. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs identifies that humans need or desire to be part of something bigger than them (belonging) and to do meaningful work being recognized as a contributor to safe successful work feeds part of that need.What recent accomplishments have your work family members experienced in project delivery and safety, health, and wellbeing? Celebrate the accomplishments and share best practices and lessons learned.ConclusionIn summary, the five basic principles of Human Performance, complemented by the additional three principles outlined above, offer practical steps that when followed consistently over time, will help leaders contribute to building a longer-term culture of learning around safety. Humans truly are our greatest asset in getting things done and we must constantly remind ourselves of that because of the natural evolution of people. We connect with each other in a more emotional way than ever before, which requires deliberate steps to prevent events from harming our work family. We all have the responsibility to manage our own careers, but good companies develop and execute processes to support the professional development and growth of their people too.Britt Howard
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